How to drain pasta without a colander, without burning yourself

Note: this post is part of #100DaysToOffload, a challenge to publish 100 posts in 365 days. These posts are generally shorter and less polished than our normal posts; expect typos and unfiltered thoughts! View more posts in this series. I have a reputation for laziness efficiency, and have always considered colanders to be a waste of resources. Unless you need your pasta totally dry (in which case you have other problems), draining directly from the pot works fine. So that’s what I've always done. However, if you're not careful, it's easy to get a steam burn; and I think it's these preventable steam burns that drives the world's obsession with colanders. The first time I learned this trick for preventing steam burns, I was immensely pleased, and I've used it every time I drain pasta since.To drain pasta from the pot, you have to hold the lid on. Sophisticates use dual hotpads (or dish towels) to clamp each side of the askew lid. This is a safe and reliable method that has the same…